Cooking With Kids....

With it being close to Halloween and Thanksgiving, I thought I would share a recipe, I have had for a few years. This cute, decoration snack, would be fun to make with your kids or at a Scouting meeting.

Indian Corn

 Recipe put out by the Editors of Publications International, Ltd

YIELD Makes 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4	cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1	package (10.5 ounces) mini marshmallows
Yellow food coloring
8	cups peanut butter and chocolate puffed corn cereal
1	cup candy-coated chocolate pieces, divided (Personally I think if you can find Sixlets, they would work the best)
10	lollipop sticks
Tan and green raffia

PREPARATION:

1. Line large baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
2. Melt butter in large heavy saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows; stir until melted and smooth. Tint with food coloring until desired shade is reached. Add cereal and 1/2 cup chocolate pieces; stir until evenly coated. Remove from heat.
3. With lightly greased hands, quickly divide mixture into 10 oblong pieces. Push lollipop stick halfway into each piece; shape like ear of corn. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press remaining 1/2 cup chocolate pieces into each "ear." Let treats stand until set.
4. Tie or tape raffia to lollipop sticks to resemble corn husks.

Tip

Lollipop sticks and colored raffia are sold at craft and hobby stores.

This recipe appears in: Fall

Sausage Split Pea Soup

My daughter is wild about split pea soup, my son, eh only eats it if he has too. So my challenge was to come up with a version that both children would eat without too many difficulties.

The answer of course is adding sausage to the pot. Yes, I did say sausage in split pea soup, you did not miss read what I wrote. I have to be honest; I did almost drop a bowl of soup when my son said it was good. My daughter, who was upset over her split pea soup being changed, also claimed it was good. *Mom does the happy dance secretly in the kitchen*

When I made the soup, I was really worried about how salty it might turn out. I used three smoked ham hocks and Hillshire Farm’s beef sausage sliced into bite size pieces and two potatoes. I did not add any salt to the pot, because of the ham hocks and sausage.

I was surprised to find,  the soup in my bowl did need some salt added to it. The power of the potato, took all the salt.

Sausage Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound dried split green pea, washed and sorted

1 lbs ham hock

1 1lbs package of Hillshire Farm’s beef sausage

½ Tablespoon Jamaican curry powder (I use Blue Mountain Country brand)

1 onion, diced

4 carrots, chopped

2 Celery ribs, chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

Six cups water

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place onion in soup pot with a tablespoon of vegetable oil and sauté until translucent.

Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer on low for two hours.

Add additional water if needed and simmer on medium for half hour.

Remove ham hock, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Helpful hint: Do not store your onions and potatoes together, your potatoes will rot quickly